A Minecraft Movie has reached the big screen, but is it as good (or bad) as the trailers made it seem? Today, we answer that and more in “A Minecraft Movie Review: Blocky Surprise Worth the Time.”

A Minecraft Movie Review

Not every movie aims to be the next Oscar-nominated masterpiece. Oftentimes, they can just be fun, and that is what I personally took away from A Minecraft Movie after leaving my seat. The humor was good and not overly cringy, the characters were all likable, and the visuals were beautiful. But was it good? I think it’s better to say it wasn’t bad.

The Story

The story of A Minecraft Movie isn’t exactly anything to write home about and follows similar beats to that of Minecraft Legends. Just this time, it is a group of rag-tag misfits from Earth playing the role of the heroes rather than us, the players. Spoilers ahead: their main goal is to repair the orb that brought them to Minecraft’s overworld so they can return home. Along the way, the main characters, including Steve, learn about themselves and stop the piglins who also seek the orb so they can cast darkness over the overworld. Don’t expect any groundbreaking moments when it comes to this part of the movie. However, credit where it is due, I will say the brief but very humorous villager romance subplot back on Earth was both unexpected and funny.

The Characters

The characters were very well done, with engaging setups, clear motivations, and distinct personalities. Additionally, throughout the story, all but Dawn receive a personal journey of learning and change, including Jack Black as Steve. Dawn didn’t necessarily need one per se, but it’s more so a shame that more wasn’t done with her character. Overall, the cast and their acting definitely established themselves as a highlight of this film.

The Humor

A Minecraft Movie is a comedy, and it makes that quite clear from the start with humor right out of the gate. Thankfully, none of it is overly campy and is instead often quite good. Jason Momoa as “The Garbage Man,” in particular, had many great lines and went really well together with Jack Black being Jack Black. Overall, both kids and adults will get their share of laughs.

The Visuals

In my opinion, this is where this movie truly shone. The overworld looked phenomenal, the action was unexpectedly great, and despite my hesitations from the trailers, even the animal and monster designs grew on me as the movie went on. To put the spotlight on one part in particular, the Enderman’s design and fight scene were fantastic. Don’t get me wrong; I am not attempting to suggest this will be the best visuals or action you have ever seen. I just really did not expect A Minecraft Movie to provide visuals at the level that it did. Hats off to all those who made that happen behind the scenes!

The Score & Soundtrack

If you are a Minecraft fan, the score is a real treat, with remixes of multiple iconic songs from the game used throughout the movie. The pigstep music disc is also made relevant to the plot, which was quite funny. For those unfamiliar with the game, I can’t really see the score being all that special, however.

Overall

A Minecraft Movie is a fun adventure filled with humor, memorable lines, and great visuals. Long-time fans of Minecraft and their kids will likely enjoy it or perhaps even love it. As for those unfamiliar with Minecraft, you will find yourself with a fun film that, while nothing groundbreaking, is at least entertaining. Overall, I would give “A Minecraft Movie” a 6/10 and recommend it to any long-time fans or those with kids. Hopefully, we will get a sequel with the Ender Dragon!